Importance of diet and nutrition for dental health

Importance of diet and nutrition for dental health

There is a very strong and direct connection between your diet and your dental health. Like other parts of your body, your teeth require several important vitamins and minerals to function properly. It is known that the nutrients that maintain your bones and body muscles are also responsible for maintaining your teeth and gums. A balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables is therefore important. And if you think that consuming vitamin supplements instead of natural foods is good enough; you are absolutely wrong! Browse online dental health information and you'll find that there is no substitute for a nutritional diet.

Health experts suggest that a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle should be maintained from pregnancy, through breastfeeding, through childhood and maturity. This is because the amount of sugar and chewy & sticky food you eat in the first few days ultimately determines the quality of your dental health.

So what do you need to include in your diet to prevent tooth decay and maintain good oral hygiene? First, get into the habit of eating foods like:

1) Green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin A and vitamin B complex. A deficiency of these can lead to bleeding gums, overgrown gums and other gum diseases.

2) Dark green vegetables, whole grains and whole grain breads rich in vitamin B complex. In addition to sores and lesions in the mouth, these prevent lips from breaking and bleeding.

3) Fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. These promote healthy gums.

The most useful and nutritious foods that help your teeth and gums stay healthy are yogurt and milk. Both are high in calcium and less acidic. This factor helps build teeth and bones. You can also consume green tea, which reduces plaque and tooth decay as it contains fluoride as well as polyphonic antioxidant. Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and phosphate. It helps balance the pH level in the mouth. This, in turn, builds tooth enamel, produces saliva and kills bacteria. Dental health information also emphasizes including the following foods in your daily diet:

1) Foods rich in magnesium and zinc such as fish, poultry and lean meats. These help build healthy teeth.

2) Copper-rich foods such as legumes, seafood, nuts, molasses, raisins and soybeans. These are a must for good oral health.

3) Potassium-rich foods like banana, fig, apricot, date, raisins and tomato juice.

4) Zinc-rich foods such as soybeans, liver, spinach, sunflower seeds and mushrooms.

5) Iron-rich foods such as red meat, iron-rich grains, liver, beef, spinach, whole grains and dried fruits.

However, foods you need to avoid are carbohydrates, fructose, sucrose and maltose as they are known to cause tooth decay. Also avoid sticky foods as they stick to your teeth for a long time and lead to acid buildup.

You can easily avoid dental treatment if you include all of the above nutrients in your daily diet. Also make sure you drink enough water every day as it is good for your dental health.